ATLANTA (AP) — Weezer, kings of nasal power pop, will release their 20th studio album on Friday. It is also known as “Weezer (Gold Album),” continuing a tradition of self-titled, color-identified records. And rest assured, it delivers the band’s signature energy for the faithful.
That said, no boundaries are pushed here. But really, does Weezer need to push boundaries? It should be acceptable by now — 30-plus years removed from the destroyed sweaters of 1994’s “Blue Album” — that the talented foursome, with lead vocalist Rivers Cuomo at the helm, does what it does best: Clock in and jam.
Opener “Say Yes” is an easy earworm, where Cuomo questions his place and his worth. It’s a thinly veiled reflection that can’t help but be read in reference to the Weezer career journey: “Somebody here’s gonna slip me a happy pill / Make me feel dumb if I just can’t seem to feel the thrill.”
Cuomo and the boys have made it, and their “Gold Album” is good. Sure, there are filler tracks like “C.E.O.” and “Nowhere,” which went exactly there — with its redundant hook and shallow premise. But even those missteps are overpowered by stellar efforts, such as “We Might as Well Be Strangers” featuring the alt-country indie rock band Wednesday. Something has been lost, and Cuomo sings believably about it in the lament: “Happy birthday / Thanks for the Valium.”
There’s a pattern to the Weezer song matrix. Something awkward is said, Cuomo sings his way toward the predicament, and the band breaks through it all with a furtive blast of memorable hooks and trusty chord progressions. “We Might as Well be Strangers,” is a solid song and a perfect example, with its examination of a relationship giving way to nicely soaring guitar work. It’s one of the top tracks.
Weezer has always had one foot in the room of stardom and the other waiting outside, laughing about how they’ve been accepted. They’ve long taken wry shots at the fame machine (think 2014’s “Eulogy for a Rock Band,” or this album’s “The LA Sound”) while basking in the oddity that a band of their ilk was ever allowed in to begin with. On their “Gold Album,” fans of Weezer will appreciate their consistency and longevity.
That’s because Weezer is in a retrospective mode now: Still joking. Still rocking. Still touring. Their self-described meta songs about aging will probably age just fine.
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“Weezer (Gold Album),” by Weezer
Three stars out of five
On repeat: “Say So,” “We Might as Well Be Strangers”
Skip it: “C.E.O.,” “Nowhere”
For fans of: Barenaked Ladies and other heady, smart aleck bands
